People who learn to rest deliberately, work less, and are more productive. Period.

The idea that working longer hours increases productivity is so deeply ingrained it’s hard to believe embracing rest and recovery could be a more productive option. But it is. Every single time you take a break, your brain is just as energetic as when it’s engaged in work. And that’s why intentional rest (as counter-intuitive as it seems) is the secret to working less.

Just like our bodies need sleep to function properly, our brains also require periods of non-doing to process information, and recharge for future tasks. When we ignore these rest periods, our cognitive abilities—and our overall well-being suffer.

When we set aside time for proper rest and recovery however, something amazing happens.

Our minds are free to wander to the problems we’ve been working on. But compared to its conscious directed state, the wandering mind deals with these problems in a looser, freer way. In this resting state, our brains tap into what’s known as the Default Mode Network (DMN)—a powerful system that activates when we’re not focused on external tasks. And it’s the DMN that’s responsible for connecting our disparate ideas. That’s why during these periods of mind-wandering (when you’re not actively thinking about a problem) your breakthroughs naturally occur.

Think about those “aha” moments that pop up when you’re in the shower, out for a walk, or just resting. That’s your DMN at work.

And the best bit is, our DMN is not something some of us are born with and some of us aren’t.

It’s something you can nurture and cultivate by intentionally building rest into your day. Instead of constantly pushing yourself to exhaustion, you can embrace the rhythm of focused work and deliberate rest to help you activate your DMN, and work less, whilst achieving more.

5 Ways To Embrace Rest and Recovery, And Activate Your DMN

01 Shift Your Mindset on Rest

Move away from the belief that rest is unproductive or lazy.

Rest is a critical part of the creative process and productivity cycle, and it’s essential to problem solving. I want you to remember that every single time you take a break, your brain is just as energetic as when it’s engaged in work. When you consistently think of rest in this way, it becomes easier to take guilt-free breaks from work because you know your mind is solving the problems you’ve been working on.

02 Incorporate Rest into Your Workday

It’s critical to schedule deliberate periods of rest throughout the day.

Instead of forcing your brain to focus non-stop, allow time for brief moments of disengagement. Try taking a 15-30 minute break for every 60-90 minutes of work. This could be taking a walk, or simply sitting quietly. In these moments you’ll activate your DMN, which helps your brain process information subconsciously—that’s when you’ll experience breakthroughs and better problem solving.

03 Practice Deep Work, Followed by Deep Rest

Refer back to your energy map and use your low-energy periods for deliberate rest to restore your mental and physical energy for the next burst of productive work.

This means dedicating time to your high-value tasks without interruptions, followed by deep rest that allows your brain to reset. And deep rest doesn’t always mean doing nothing. It could be anything from creative hobbies to napping—just something that truly lets your mind disconnect and recover.

04 Prioritise Restorative Activities

Instead of just stopping work, and switching on the TV, engage in activities that foster mental recovery.

These might be walks in nature, reading a good book, listening to music, or my personal favourite: going for a mountain-bike ride. The key is to choose activities that bring you alive and allow your mind to wander and recharge.

In Conclusion

Incorporating rest into your day isn’t about doing less—it’s about doing more with the energy and focus you have.

By shifting your mindset on rest, embracing deliberate recovery periods, and tapping into your DMN, you’ll unlock the creativity and problem-solving skills you’ve been lacking. That’s the thing with intentional rest. It doesn’t just make you more productive—it improves your overall well-being—ultimately leading to a happier, more fulfilling life.

So take that break, trust the process, and let your brain work behind the scenes while you step away. The results will speak for themselves.

Next week, we’ll recap everything we’ve spoken about over the last few weeks, and I’ll help you gain a holistic view of the exact steps to take if you want truly want to work less, and achieve more.

See you then!

Josh